Days of the Old Republic III: Blacknova
by Psychopithicus
Summary: Due to the machinations of Darth Ranek, the enigmatic Project Blacknova finds himself en route to a prestigious Sith Academy on the planet Ziost. Upon arrival, however, mysteries and a rival Acolyte will lead the experimental warrior to question himself.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all. For those who are new, it is recommended that you read "Dark Desires: an Old Republic Story" before reading this story (the previous two installments in the DOTOR series are not required reading for this one, however). For those who have already read the previous installments, this one is going to focus on a more unique character who recieved very little screen time (so to speak) in "Dark Desires". Hope you enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I own most of the characters in this story. Any other names of characters or planets are owned by Lucasarts and Bioware.**

**Days of the Old Republic III: Blacknova**

Chapter 1:

To most non Force-sensitives, hearing disembodied voices was a sign of madness. To most Jedi, to hear such voices meant that one could hear a Force-empowered spirit, and as such should be listened to attentively. To most Sith, the voices could be anything from a distraction to a problem.

To the Sith Pureblood known only as "Project Blacknova", hearing voices in one's head was a mundane ritual.

Within his mind, an image of Metarrid Leykott paced back and forth in front of a mental image of Blacknova. In Blacknova's mind, Metarrid was the same as he was in life: a figure in a metallic mask, body draped in dark robes. Similarly, Blacknova's mental image matched his true one: a huge, burly, red-skinned figure with a neck-length black mullet, golden eyes, and two scars where most Sith Purebloods would have facial tendrils.

"My greatest achievement," the voice of Metarrid spoke, echoing in Blacknova's mind, "you are the ultimate weapon. Do you understand?"

"I do," Blacknova nodded.

"You are to do as you are instructed," Metarrid continued. "You will never personalize a mission. You are the embodiment of raw power, and you must behave as such."

"Of course," Blacknova nodded again.

"I have told you of many things, my creation," Metarrid said. "I have taught you how to use all resources at your disposal, how to destroy that which you do not need. I have taught you how to wield a bladed weapon, how to harness your emotions. I have even told you of the great Revan, and of his power. But there is one more thing that I have left to teach you."

"What is it, Master?" Blacknova asked.

"Patience, my weapon," Metarrid said. "All things in due time."

The real world came rocketing back into Blacknova's eyesight. The hulking Sith Pureblood found himself kneeling on the floor in a meditative position, sitting in the passenger hold of a small shuttle. Several men, garbed in black Imperial uniforms, were with him.

"Are you all right?" one of them asked.

"Yes," Blacknova said simply, rising to his feet. "Have we reached the academy yet?"

"We're arriving now," another Imperial trooper answered.

Indeed, the shuttle touched down, and a door opened, letting in a flood of light. Blacknova shielded his golden eyes, having never seen this before.

"Sunlight," he murmured, reconciling the term with the image before him. "So this is sunlight."

The troopers looked at each other awkwardly. Why did they have to be stuck with the one Sith in the galaxy who grew up in a stasis tank, and was thus unfamiliar with trivial things such as sunlight?

"Ah, good," a woman's voice said. "You've arrived."

A woman garbed in black with silver armor on her shoulders approached Blacknova. Her long brown hair fell down to her shoulders, and reflected the sun.

"I am Overseer Ruzall," the woman said. "You must be Project Blacknova. I've heard much of you. I am told you wield tremendous power…but now that I can sense it for myself, I can see that words do not do you justice."

Blacknova looked around for a moment, then turned his gaze back to the Overseer.

"You are the Overseer?" he asked. "What do you oversee?"

"Hmm…you are indeed out of touch with the world," Ruzall muttered. "I suppose it is to be expected from someone who grew up in a stasis tank. Very well. I will explain to the best of my ability. Troopers, leave us. Blacknova, follow me."

The authority in Ruzall's voice prompted all to obey. The troopers returned to their shuttle, and Blacknova began to walk alongside the Overseer as she led him to the massive metallic structure that bore the Imperial emblem.

"This is one of many Sith Academies placed on various planets throughout the galaxy," Ruzall explained. "It is here at these academies that aspiring Sith—called Acolytes—are not only educated in the ways of the Sith, but are tested to determine if they are worthy of becoming Sith in the first place."

She stopped for a moment, as did Blacknova. She looked at him, noting that his physique towered over hers. Despite this, Ruzall never lost her composure for a moment.

"I feel I should warn you," she said. "Not all Acolytes survive these tests."

"I will," Blacknova said. Though many who would say this did so out of arrogance, Blacknova's tone was extremely matter-of-fact.

"I am afraid that remains to be seen," Ruzall said, "but I will admit that you do seem to have greater potential than most Acolytes. Regardless, you will do as you are instructed, and you will do whatever you feel is necessary to keep ahead of the other Acolytes. Am I understood?"

"Of course, Overseer," Blacknova said with a nod.

"Good," Ruzall said, stopping at the academy entrance. "Now, take your place alongside the other Acolytes. I will be assigning you and your fellows your fist task soon."

Ruzall left, and Blacknova stared inside the academy. A small crowd gathered, consisting of many different species. Although they were mostly humans, Blacknova spied a male Rattataki amongst them. He approached the crowd, the Rattataki spying him first.

"So," the Rattataki said, "another nerf has entered the slaughterhouse."

Blacknova paid the Rattataki no mind, keeping his golden eyes faced forward.

"The strong, silent type?" the Rattataki assumed. "Fine, I guess I'll start things off myself. My name's Ziaku Kratannos. As you can most likely guess, I, too, am an Acolyte."

"In other words, I am competing with you," Blacknova said, still not looking at Ziaku.

"So, you do speak?" Ziaku said. "What do people call you, exactly?"

"Project Blacknova," the Sith Pureblood replied.

"Ah. I've heard about you," Ziaku said. "You've probably already realized that your reputation precedes you. In fact, all the talk about you comes from the same Darth."

Now Blacknova turned his gaze to Ziaku.

"Who is this Darth, and why is he talking about me?" he asked.

"He calls himself 'Darth Ranek'," Ziaku answered. "You know how it is with those Darths and their fancy titles."

"Ranek…I believe I met him," Blacknova said. "He was the one who released me."

"That would explain why he is supposedly so familiar with you," Ziaku said.

"Attention, Acolytes!" Overseer Ruzall boomed, every head in the room turning to see her standing in front of the Acolyte crowd. "From here on, your lives belong to the Sith. It is in this academy, on this planet Ziost, that you will begin your Sith training. Let me make one thing clear: weakness will not be tolerated. You are here to shed aside your former lives and devote yourself to the ways of the Sith."

"And get eviscerated in the process," Ziaku muttered, crossing his arms. "Oh, how I do look forward to seeing my lungs splatter on the floor."

"There are numerous trials ahead of you," Ruzall continued. "If you succeed in these trials, you have a greater chance of being chosen by a Sith Lord to become his or her apprentice. If you fail, then you will die."

"I certainly didn't see that coming," Ziaku muttered, this time with more than a hint of sarcasm.

"Your first trial is mind-numbingly simple," Ruzall continued. "You will report to the armory and retrieve a training saber. It is with that training saber that you will arm yourself. It is with that training saber that you will fight to survive. Now, if there are no questions, you will now go and get your training saber."

"That sounds a little too easy to be a Sith trial," Ziaku said.

"You are training to become a Sith," Blacknova said, "yet you seem to have a knack for questioning the Sith ways."

"It is simply who I am," Ziaku shrugged. "And before you go and get your blunted lightsaber copy, you may want to look behind you."

Blacknova did so, and saw Overseer Ruzall smiling at a human man who appeared to be somewhere in his twenties, chin sporting tattoos and the rest of his head sporting chalk-white hair that hung over one eye. When most of the other Acolytes had gone, Ruzall took the white-haired man by the arm and led him away.

"Who was that man with the white hair?" Blacknova asked.

"His name is Daemus," Ziaku said. "He is the son of Darth Ranek, and is therefore favored by the Overseer…despite the fact that she is supposed to remain impartial."

"How do you know this?" Blacknova asked. "How do you know so much about Lord Ranek?"

Ziaku sighed.

"Let's just say I have…an association," he said. "Come on, we had better get to the armory. Knowing the Sith, they won't have enough training sabers for everyone."


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I own most of the characters in this story. Any other names of characters or planets are owned by Lucasarts and Bioware.**

Chapter 2:

Blacknova and Ziaku arrived at the armory. At the end of the room was a rack that held numerous training sabers, much like the ones used by Jedi trainees. In front of the rack, a group of Acolytes found a source of entertainment: a brawl between a pair of Acolytes who had apparently reached for the same training saber.

"Behold," Ziaku sighed, "the way of the Sith in all its bloody glory."

Blacknova silently stepped forward, pushed through the crowd, and with a violent wave of his hand, used the Force to blast the brawling Acolytes aside. The Sith Pureblood then reached forward, took a training saber, and walked away without another word.

"Well…that's one way to get a training saber," Ziaku said. Noticing that the other Acolytes were already frightened of Blacknova, the Rattataki simply went in and took a saber of his own.

On the way out, Blacknova saw Overseer Ruzall and Daemus approaching the armory. As they walked past, Daemus gave a curt nod to the Pureblood. As Ziaku came out, however, Daemus roughly brushed the Rattataki's shoulder with his own. Ziaku rubbed his shoulder, exchanged a baleful glare with Daemus, and left.

"Did I mention that I dislike Daemus?" Ziaku asked as he caught up with Blacknova, the two continuing their walk to the foyer.

"It seems that the feeling is mutual," Blacknova observed.

"Somewhat," Ziaku said. "I dislike Daemus. He absolutely _loathes_ me."

"Why does he hate you so much?" Blacknova asked.

"Because I'm not human," Ziaku snorted. "Darth Ranek is a racist who wants to 'purify' the Empire. The same goes for his son."

"He seemed friendly to me," Blacknova said.

"Yes, he was friendly…to your species," Ziaku corrected. "For some reason, the original Sith are the only non-human species that Ranek and Daemus tolerate. Don't ask me why, the answer constantly eludes me."

"What do you mean?" Blacknova asked. "How do you know Ranek so well? A mere 'association' can't give that kind of information."

Ziaku heaved a depressed sigh.

"You're quite intelligent for someone who grew up in a stasis tube," he said. "Do you have time for a long story?"

"Until Overseer Ruzall returns, I'll have plenty of time," Blacknova said.

"Very well," Ziaku sighed. "I used to be a prisoner of war, which in the Empire is synonymous with 'slave'. I mostly grew up as a slave until I met my first Sith Master…he was one of your species, the original Sith. He freed me, took me in."

"Was it because you were Force-sensitive?" Blacknova asked.

"That was one reason," Ziaku answered. "My master always believed in forging one's own path. He always told me that it never mattered what other people thought, as long as you believed in what you were doing…in his case, serving the Empire. That belief put him on fairly good terms with Darth Ranek."

"So, where is your master now?" Blacknova asked.

"He was killed in combat when I was fifteen," Ziaku replied. "Ranek…well, believe it or not, he took me in."

"Why would he take you in if he hated aliens?" Blacknova asked.

"I think it was more out of respect for my master than anything else," Ziaku shrugged. "I know, it's quite confusing. But, regardless, I learned things both from Ranek and about him. He never directly taught me, of course. I just sat back and listened while he taught Daemus, practicing those teachings whenever I was in private."

"So, this is how you know so much about Ranek…because you are his unofficial apprentice," Blacknova surmised.

"More or less," Ziaku said, glancing off in the distance. "We had better change the subject, Daemus is coming."

Daemus did indeed come, this time without Ruzall leading him.

"So, you are the famous Project Blacknova," Daemus said, shoving Ziaku aside and standing in front of Blacknova. "Why would you associate with filth like him when you could learn from the pure?"

He gestured to the fallen Ziaku as he spoke. Seeing the Rattataki on the ground, Blacknova felt…confused. He felt angry, but he did not know why. Was it the human's attitude? Or was it because of how Daemus had treated Ziaku?

"What difference does it make who I learn from?" Blacknova said.

"Simple," Daemus began. "The Empire is infested with alien scum and their impure ways. You and I represent the last of the true Sith Empire, the glorious Empire that thrives on its purity."

"And where exactly are you going with this?" Ziaku asked, still on the ground.

"I did not give you permission to speak, vermin!" Daemus shouted, clubbing Zaika in the head with his training saber. "Now, where was I before I was so rudely interrupted? Ah, yes, my proposition. I want you to join me and my father, Blacknova. Join us, and you will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine. We will cleanse the Empire of the alien taint, and make it truly invincible!"

Blacknova was silent. He saw no problems with this desire. To make the Empire invincible was one of his primary life objectives. But there was still a nagging doubt in his head…a doubt that took the form of Ziaku.

"I…I will need some time to decide on this," Blacknova said.

"I suppose you would," Daemus nodded. "It is a decision that mustn't be made lightly. Meet me in the training chamber when you've made your decision, and my father and I will begin your training."

Daemus left, kicking Ziaku as he did so. The Rattataki pushed himself up.

"You're not actually going through with this?" Ziaku asked.

"I…I don't know," Blacknova said. "My purpose is to serve the Empire, nothing more…but…as a Sith, I…I must also allow my emotions to judge my actions. They are…conflicted."

"So I see," Ziaku said. "I suppose I'll just be waiting for death, either by Daemus' hand or yours."

Ziaku also left, leaving Blacknova alone.

"What do I do?" he muttered. "Master…what do I do?"

He knelt on the ground, closed his eyes, and the world disappeared. He was now in his mind once more, standing across from Metarrid Leykott.

"Hello, my weapon," Metarrid said. "It is time for your final lesson to begin."


	3. Chapter 3

**With this final chapter, Blacknova's part in the DOTOR series comes to a close.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own most of the characters in this story. Any other names of characters or planets are owned by Lucasarts and Bioware.**

Chapter 3:

An hour passed. The sparring chamber was crowded with Acolytes, who had heard rumors of an Overseer from Korriban coming to evaluate the current crop of Acolytes. The Overseer, a dark-skinned man with short black hair, stood at one side of the arena, watching all that unfolded alongside Overseer Ruzall.

Daemus paced about in the middle of the arena, waiting impatiently. Ziaku stood, arms crossed, on the sidelines, knowing that a fight was coming. That was the nature of Sith: ambition, racism, and a constant lust for violence.

Blacknova came in, silently walking into the arena. Immediately the crowd fell silent. Blacknova seemed to have quite an impact on the other Acolytes, which was something that the Korriban Overseer noticed.

"Who is that Acolyte?" the Korriban Overseer asked.

"Blacknova," Ruzall replied. "The experiment raised by Metarrid Leykott. It happens to be his first day here."

"Intriguing," the Korriban Overseer said, placing a hand to his chin.

"Don't get too excited just, Tremel," Ruzall said. "None of us has seen just what this experiment is capable of."

"Ah, Blacknova," Daemus said. "You have come. I trust you've made your decision?"

"I have," Blacknova said, "but first, I must ask you something. How exactly do you intend to strengthen the Empire?"

"Quite simply," Daemus began, "my father and I will be working from the inside. We shall exterminate the alien vermin, even if the Sith Emperor himself is an alien. We shall rebuild the old, flawed Empire into a glorious new one."

"If that is the case," Blacknova said, "then I refuse your offer."

"What?" Daemus cried. "Why would you reject such a great opportunity?"

Ziaku looked over to Blacknova with interest, also awaiting his answer.

"I am a weapon, whose purpose is to serve the Empire that you seek to destroy," Blacknova said. "I will not serve you."

Ziaku crossed his arms, unable to hide a smirk. For the first time in recent memory, the way of the Sith was actually pleasing to him.

"You will pay for your foolishness!" Daemus cried, he and Blacknova both drawing their training blades.

Overseer Ruzall made as if to intervene, but Tremel stopped her.

"Let them fight," Tremel said. "This could be quite interesting."

Daemus charged, screaming madly, bringing his blade over his head. He leapt into the air, saber at the ready, aiming to destroy the fool who had rejected his generous offer. Blacknova, however, quickly brought up his own training blade, blocking the blow. Daemus raised his blade for another attack, only for Blacknova to quickly jab his saber into Daemus' stomach. The white-haired human stumbled back for a moment, stunned.

Blacknova began a merciless assault, brutally striking Daemus' body in various points with his training blade. Grimacing, Daemus managed to block the latest strike with his training blade, following up with a kick to Blacknova's stomach. Despite being kicked in the stomach, Blacknova seemed as if he barely felt the blow. He then shoved his palm forward, knocking Daemus to the floor with a blast from the Force.

Daemus struggled to rise, only to be picked up with the Force as Blacknova cast him into a wall, scattering the Acolytes who had once been watching. The Sith Pureblood then advanced upon the fallen and groaning Daemus, training blade ready to strike. He raised his blade, but then something unexpected happened.

Overseer Ruzall ran to Daemus, throwing her body over him. Blacknova stopped, confusion dominating his mind.

"You have won, monster!" Ruzall cried. "Leave my son be!"

"Your…son?" Blacknova repeated.

"That would explain why she favored him," Ziaku said, approaching Blacknova. "So, what happens now?"

The sound of clapping rang through the arena. This was not applause from the audience, but from a single person. That person, coming through the crowd, was an elderly man with chalk white hair and golden-and-black robes.

"Well done, Blacknova," said the man. "You fought well…better than my own son."

"Darth Ranek," Ziaku said, barely attempting to hide his contempt.

"It seems my senses were right about you," Ranek said. "A shame you will not join us in our crusade…which my son so foolishly revealed to the entirety of Ziost."

"For-forgive me, Father," Daemus grunted.

"My Lord?" Ruzall said inquisitively.

"Move aside, Talla," Ranek said. "My son and I have places to be."

"Of…of course, my Lord," said Talla Ruzall, getting off of Daemus and bowing.

Daemus brought himself to his feet, and was led out by his father. Some of the Acolytes could hear words exchanged between father and son as they left.

"Please forgive me, Father," Daemus pleaded.

"Perhaps, my son," Ranek said. "Our plans will have to move ahead of schedule. But, come, let us train for the coming battles."

Ruzall stood in stunned silence for a moment before snapping to the nearest Acolyte.

"What are you looking at?" she demanded. "The fight is over, now leave!"

Meanwhile, Ziaku looked to Blacknova as the other Acolytes began to depart.

"So, why did you reject Daemus' offer?" Zaika said. "You can't be that devoted to the Empire."

"I am," Blacknova said. "But I remembered something my own master taught me."

"You mean Metarrid Leykott?" Ziaku asked.

"Yes," Blacknova said. "He taught me that racial purity means nothing. No single species is greater than any other…it is an individual from that species that proves his worth."

"Metarrid sounds quite wise," Ziaku remarked. "Ironic, then, that he is dead."

"Perhaps," Blacknova agreed, "but I am his legacy. I am power incarnate, and I will serve the Empire to my last breath."

"Well, good luck with that," Ziaku said with a joking smirk. "With that attitude, your last breath may be in the next few minutes."

Blacknova looked at him and, for the first time, gave the faintest hint of a smile.

Among the departing Acolytes was none other than Tremel, the Overseer from Korriban. Having seen the fight, his thoughts were now buzzing with plans of his own. As an Overseer with influence, he could succeed where Daemus had failed. And if Blacknova was truly the powerful living weapon that he claimed to be, he could be instrumental to Tremel's plans.

It was time to get to work.


End file.
